The National Road and Safety Commission (NRSC) has called out to the public for support in the implementation of some critical road safety interventions across the country following the gory accidents that took place on Friday March 22.

The Executive Director of NRSC, Mary Obiri-Yeboah, while speaking to the press on Sunday March 24 at the Ministry of Information said the in recent times, we have been at the receiving end of some resistance for the introduction of one road safety measure or the other.

On Friday, two accidents occurred at Kintampo in the Bono East region and Ekumfi in the Central region causing the death of 60 passengers who were on board buses.

Madam Obiri-Yeboah while speaking added that the commission wants to implement regulations on speed limiters that will require commercial vehicles to fit speed limiters to aid in managing speeds.

She said, “the Commission intends to lead a conversation on the implementation of the Regulation on Speed limiters, which requires that all commercial vehicles must be fitted with speed limiters to help manage speeds as a major contributory factor to road traffic crashes.”

She further added that “road safety is a way of life and a collective responsibility. The Transport operators, GPRTU, PROTOA, VIP, VVIP etc have a huge responsibility to ensure that their drivers are well educated and trained periodically. They must ensure at all times that their vehicles are roadworthy. The Police must intensify their enforcement programme and passengers must speak out against conducts that put the lives in danger.”

This initiative by the government will according to her mean “road users must remember that the use of the road require knowledge and responsibility. All road users must demonstrate discipline at all times whilst in traffic as drivers, riders, pedestrians, passengers, etc.”

She lamented that “road traffic crashes have seen an upsurge of road deaths and injuries from the beginning of this year.”

The Executive Director said “available statistics from the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service indicates that from January to end of February 2019, a total of 411 persons were killed and 2,048 were injured through road traffic crashes in Ghana.”

She recalled that in February 2018 after series of occurrences of road traffic crashes, President Akuffo Addo, expressed his concern about the carnage and tasked the Ministers of Interior, Transport and Roads and Highways to come up with a working solution to address the menace.

She explained that the Committee submitted its report to the President which identified indiscipline as the main contributory factor to the increasing incidents of road traffic crashes.

She added that “this situation has culminated into total disrespect for road traffic laws and regulations related to travel speeds, overtaking, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, long driving periods, disregard for traffic regulations by motor riders including the non-use of crash helmets among others.”